Colombia - Arhuaco

Colombia - Arhuaco

Sale price£10.00

The Arhuaco people are growing coffee to preserve community, culture and tradition. Organically cultivated in harmony with nature, this coffee was sourced from the remote Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, described by the Arhuaco as ‘The Heart of `the World'.

TASTING NOTES:

A very sweet cup that has subtle fruit notes of apple and peach as it cools. A versatile drinker that is suitable for all brew methods.

Grind Type: Whole Beans

Grind Type
Bag Size: 250g

Bag Size
PRODUCER

Anei co-operative

REGION

Sierra Nevada de santa Marta

HARVEST

October to March

ALTITUDE

1600 - 2200

VARIETY

Bourbon, Caturra, Castillo, San Bernado

PROCESS

Washed and sun-dried


ABOUT

A unique coffee from the Arhuaco, an indigenous people from the Sierra Nevada.

Working with the Anei co-operative, the Arhuaco are growing coffee to help preserve their community, culture and traditions. Sales of this coffee help the community focus on sustainability and remain self-sufficient. 

Based in Valledupar Anei was founded in 1995 by the amazing Aurora Izquierdo. Their focus is to connect indigenous communities with coffee buyers. “Anei” simply means “delicious” in the Arhuaco dialect.

Coffee, community, culture and tradition.

ANEI are an organisation of around 600 families from four indigenous native communities in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the Serranía del Perijá.

The organisation was founded in 1995 by Aurora Izquierdo, the first Arhuaco native woman from the community to study in Bogotá, she was inspired to help develop the economy and living conditions of the communities in the region.

In 2024 Mark spent a week visiting the Arhuaco, travelling to Valladepur and then staying up into the Sierra Nevada to learn how the coffee we buy promotes and preserves the cultures and communities living in this magical place.

The Heart of the World

We learned how the Arhuaco indigenous people have a deep respect and care for the environment in both a spiritual and practical way. They view their home as ‘The Heart of the Earth’, a place from which they can build ‘universal order and harmony’.

In practical terms there are structured land management plans aimed at protecting ecosystems, projects for carbon capture through agroforestry systems and reforestation of micro-basins and areas at risk of erosion.

There are also local seed banks, a network of coffee collectors to help and support producers in the co-operative and they are implementing the use of solar panels alongside widespread systems for rainwater collection.

Full Circle

In 2024 members of the Anei Co-operative travelled to Europe to help promote their work. During the trip they took time to visit us at our roastery here in Worcester - a very special day.

Pictured (from left to right); Aurora Izquierdo, Mark Chislett, Tre Wheatley, Juan Sebastian, Jorge Páez Izquierdo.

You may also like